One of my New Years resolutions is eat the rainbow of fruits and veggies! I think that is something we all struggle with. We want to be healthy and fit, but when you have a choice between a bell pepper and a chocolate smothered “protein” bar or box of crackers, which one do you choose? Here are some tips to keep your health goals and self-control strong: 1. Don’t let foods that tempt you or you know you shouldn’t eat where you can see it. That includes behind closed doors of a pantry or fridge. Even get it out of your house if you need to! Then, replace it with the food you should be eating ( fruit, veggies, nuts, seeds, protein)! 2. Don’t eat when you’re not hungry! This is something that is hard for me too! When I get bored, tired, or start craving something, I mindlessly snack. Since New Year’s Day, I’ve been breaking these habits one bell pepper and apple at a time! I’m not saying to become vegan, because our bodies do need meat, and small amounts of dairy, grain, and natural sugars, but be mindful of how much you eat and what you eat! Organic and homemade is the best way!

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I’ve wanted to try smoothie bowls for a long time. Their colors and beauty catch my eye every time and they are so packed with antioxidants,vitamins, fiber, protein, and much more. We have no frozen fruit in our house right now, ( or fresh fruit that would be good in a smoothie😂) so I found a smoothie bowl with banana and coconut from the Half Baked Harvest website. I’ve altered the recipe a bit to our preferences ( and ingredients we have in the house). Smoothie bowls are so easy, quick, and versatile. The recipes for them are really just a suggestion, because you can add all kinds of toppings and extra fruit, etc..  Also, this is a great recipe to make the night before( since coconut oat mixture must sit in fridge overnight) and to make the Quinoa Nut granola the night before also. It makes it a super easy breakfast to throw together in the morning with little mess! So let’s jump into it now!

Ingredients:    Serves: 3-4 )depending on the size of the bowls)

For the smoothie bowl:

1. 4 cups of coconut milk ( save one cup to the side)
2. 2 -3 bananas
3. 1 cup oats
4. 3tbs chia seeds
5. 1 tsp vanilla extract
6. 1/4 tsp salt

For the quinoa nut granola:

1.  3 cups cooked quinoa ( I used wild quinoa)
2. 1 cup chopped almonds or pecans
3. 1/2 cup chopped cashews
4. 1/4 cup flax seeds
5. 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
6. 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
7. 3/4 – 1cup honey
8. 2 tsp vanilla
9. 1 tsp salt

For the toppings:

1. Sliced mango, banana, or fruit
2. Coconut shreds or chips
3.  stevia sweetened chocolate chips
4. Quinoa nut granola

Directions for Quinoa Granola:

• Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and prepare two cookie sheets with parchment paper.
• Mix all ingredients together thoroughly.
• Spread in a thin layer the quinoa mix on cookie sheets.
• Bake for 35-55 min until golden brown all over and crunchy. Mix every 15 min so it doesn’t burn.
• let cool before storing in container or fridge.

Directions for Coconut oat banana chia seed smoothie bowl:

• Mix together 3 cups coconut milk, oats, chia seeds, vanilla extract, and salt in a small bowl. Put in fridge for an hour, or better yet, overnight.
• In the morning, put mixture into a blender along with the remaining cup of coconut milk, and bananas. Blend until desired consistency.
• Pour into bowls and top with Quinoa nut Granola, coconut chips, chocolate chips, and fruit. Enjoy!!